The US administration is proposing new rules that will ease restrictions on those with high skills. Thus, those who are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) workers are being provided concessions and benefits to retain and encourage them to stay back in the US.

Thus, one of the major changes will see a provision that will allow the spouses of H-1 B visa holders to work legally in the US. So far, they were not allowed to do so. The administration’s commerce secretary, Penny Pritzker stated that these talented and skilled workers already have advanced degrees and training and are keen to stay back, but the rules that are in place are discouraging.

Another area where there is going to be some change in the rules/laws is in the way that employers can and will hire alien researchers and professors. Now, the new regulations would allow the employers have/use a wider range of methods to establish that the alien researcher and professor is the best available in the field.

US commerce secretary, Ms. Pritzker also quoted some statistics and stated that about 28% of the new businesses and about 40% of the Fortune 500 companies are/were started by immigrants. As examples, she pointed out or mentioned the names of Andy Grove who was born in Hungary, Sergey Brin who is actually a Soviet immigrant and Yahoo co-founder, Jerry Yang, who is Taiwan-born.

Even while these pro-immigration measures are being contemplated and sought to be promulgated, there is criticism from opponents of immigration reform who say/state that these might be positive news and measures for foreign workers but is bad news for native Americans, as these measures will effectively lower wages and further hurt the labour market.